Five high schools in Eastern Oregon hosted College Application Week events this year: Pendleton, Umatilla, Echo, Stanfield, and Hermiston. The Hermiston Herald visited some of these events and discovered why education after high school is so important:

[Hermiston High School counselor, Melody Bustillos] said by 2030, 90 percent of jobs will require at least some sort of training simply because of advancements in technology. She said that’s why introducing students to their options early on in their senior years is particularly helpful for students.

Oregon State University president, Ed Ray, is a supporter of College Application Week, as evidenced in his guest column last week inThe Oregonian.

President Ray shared that while we might think he's biased toward higher education because of his job, he's got personal reasons for believing in the value of college. He closed with a gentle reminder:

It goes without saying - College Application Week isn't a standalone event. To ensure success, students need to prepare. Prior to submitting their applications, they do a college search, make some decisions about where they'll apply, and gather their materials. When possible, the search part includes visiting college campuses. Last week, Stanfield Secondary School kicked off their CAW event by taking a group of students to Seattle to visit the University of Washington. Looks like they had a great time!

Beaverton High School is on a roll! Check out their Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook accounts to see all of the #whyichose videos they've been posting. They're asking students, faculty, staff, and alumni why they chose to continue their education beyond high school, and they're getting some great responses! Here's one:

We're keeping an eye out for all the news media about Oregon College Application Week. If you see something we miss, be sure to send it our way!

Joining the movement in Oregon recognizing November as College Application Month, Hermiston School District, along with the city of Hermiston, proclaimed the first week in November to be College Application Week.